They encounter the fully armored Fuse, who slaughters them all. To take a beloved classic and make it a big budget blockbuster and then add 40 minutes to the runtime is an even worse idea. However, the intelligence service Public, Security, which sees its own influence drop, hatches a plot to annihilate the Special Unit. While it's better paced and isn't as boring, it doesn't make its characters any more emotionally involving, and I don't think it takes full advantage of the world it tries to portray, instead relying on a more expanded yet overplotted story. In particular, the part where he jump-kicks the guy through the car window. Two things right off the bat: Wow. Netflix's Maniac: 16 Best Easter Eggs, References, Callbacks And Clues You Missed. It was released on Netflix on July 25, 2018. There are also some other surface changes to the film that, really, dont affect as much as they probably should. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. As interesting as perfectly remaking an old anime into a live action movie might be, I was more intrigued by what changes would be implemented and how the lens of a Korean movie team would affect the narrative. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. Illang: The Wolf Brigade [3] ( Korean : ; also known as Inrang) is a 2018 South Korean science fiction action film directed by Kim Jee-woon and starring Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. They changed huge plot points that destroyed the original theme and made it feel more Hollywood. Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. After the attack (and the fun), the film starts getting complicated. While I enjoyed the film, I found myself caught between the contradictory feelings of wanting the film to have changed more while also wishing the film had adhered more to the original. Deep. The love story aspect of the movie just doesn't work, so it doesn't have an emotional crutch. However, fans of the original might find that there are either too few changes to merit watching this over the original, or they might feel that there were too many changes and the film moved too far into action and away from the emotional core that made the original so memorable. Terms of Use and 6 min read by Alex Khlopenko With Decay of Logos, Dark Souls affirms its role as the Diablo of 2010s. Though the plot gets convoluted with interagency disputes, leading to a few slow scenes where people are mostly sitting and talking to ensure we understand what exactly is going on, the aforementioned actions scenes do enough to break this up. The film was financed by Union Investment Partners, with production being announced in 2013. In-between the action, there is a lot of talk. About that car and the rest of the surrounding production details: Despite all the energy spent establishing how much Korea has changed between now and 2029 (a vision that calls for customized cars and tanks early on), about half an hour in, Kim either forgets that the film takes place in the future, or simply assumes that audiences will just carry on believing that premise, reverting back to what looks indistinguishable from the present day. That was satisfying! The Warner Bros logo is bright red against a black background. Very Stylish ( South korean A+ Movie) My Ratings 10/10, what a piece of work it is a tour de force work from the director (just watched couple hours ago_. The premise was funny in the beginning about reunification. The old sergeant solemnly compares Kei's fate to the demise of Red Riding Hood and the triumph of the wolf. [4] [5] I liked every aspect of this movie minus all the times that anyone was in the combat suits it was so rigid and didnt add any value to the characters. While I am one of the first people to bemoan the seemingly endless cycle of remakes and reboots that seems to have seized the movie industry and would love to see that time, attention, and money diverted to new stories, ideas, and characters, I was still quite excited when I saw the first trailer for Illang: The Wolf Brigade, the live-action remake of the Japanese anime movie Jin-Roh. The use of light and shadow to build suspense as the sewers suddenly go dark and multiple red eyes start to glow will send chills down your spine. I liked the quality of the movie action scene, simple and without CG. Yun-hee tells him how her sister joining "The Sect" destroyed her family. A very confusing movie. Behind all of this, frequently peeking through to the forefront, is an almost political thriller of two government agencies trying to discredit and overpower the other. Action comes easy to Korean director Kim; its actors that he doesnt always know what to do with. Fantastic and brilliant, with an intense and memorable ending. One agent tries to kill Yun-hee, whereupon she joins Lim. That just eluded me. I'm glad I wasn't the only one looking for where North Korea fit into the plot. However I really enjoyed this movie, yeah the romance part might a bit long but also has some purpose in building the final climax. Although currently living in Korea having served in the national army as well. Secondary characters like Cheol-jin and Mi-kyung get thrown into the story and exit without adding any substance. This wasn't originally in Bandai's plans for the film, but Oshii expected Kazunori It, his usual screenwriter, to reject their offer as he had previously told him that he didn't want to write a story involving dogs following his work for Jin-Roh live-action prequel The Red Spectacles, and after he did so he was offered the role. The soldiers survive, but Lim shows shock. You can also change your preferences at any time by clicking Cookie Preferences in the footer of each page. "[28], Jason Bechervaise from Screendaily wrote that the film "contains moments of stylistic brilliance through some compelling set-pieces. When Lim leaves, Han from State Security seeks out Yun-hee. [1][18][19], Costumes for the film were designed by Hollywood artist Vanessa Lee, who also worked on the special effects costume for the 2006 film Underworld: Evolution and superhero costumes in the Avengers film series. Yet moving the story from Japan to a Korean peninsula which is on the point of reunifying in 2029 results in a film which is both over-plotted and melodramatic. In any case, he focuses his style elsewhere, elaborating on the storys Red Riding Hood allegory (which also happens to be Yun-hees choice of wardrobe) in an endlessly complicated loop of whether humans are hiding in wolves clothing or the other way around. 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Rowling More Grace and Listen to Her, Britain's $4 Billion Boss: ITV Chief Carolyn McCall Bets It All on Talent, 2023 Music Festivals: How to Buy Tickets to Coachella, Governors Ball, Lollapalooza and More. However, mostly the change just allows for a more fully rounded explanation of why there are protests and how the anti-terror unit came to be formed in the first place. It had the chance to take the core concept of the original and remake it with more Korean influences and depart into a similar, but uniquely different, film or to recapture the original with live action and a few more action sequences. South Korean police launches a special unit, known as "Illang" (The Wolf Brigade), in response to the rise of an anti-reunification domestic insurgency called "The Sect". By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Yes they've changed the setting but it's almost a shot to shot homage to Jin Roh in some parts, when Grace Omega started playing I immediately got frisson! GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site. Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Who killed her at that moment? In the end, everyone remains alive. Lots of netizens are surprised by union between super-hot actors and super-skilled film directors. Sorry, but you can't access this content! [9], An early comment on the film was given by Blue Sky animator Andr Mazzone, who was shown the film in May 1999 as part of a delegation from the studio to Production IG's headquarters. Entertaining and quite intelligent combat and action sequences throughout the movie; however, remarkably dumb reasons provided by the plot to explain the purpose of this combat. The events prompt Japan to remilitarize, and the U.S. and Russia to ramp up military interests in the area. (Source: KoBiz) Edit Translation, In 2029, after the governments of North and South Korea announce a 5-year plan to reunify the country, strong sanctions by the world's powerful nations cripple the economy and lead to a hellish period of chaos. But Illang: The Wolf Brigade isn't an addition . As such, this movie exists in a sort of limbo. After that I didn't care who was fighting who. He then surprises Yun-hee by informing her that Lim is not only a member of the special unit, but belongs to the notorious sub-organization Illang, the Wolf Brigade. Jee-Woon's films 'I saw the Devil' and 'The Good the Bad the Weird' are among my favorite Korean films (and favorite films in general). He praised it for the beauty of its animation and character designs and the "subtle and crafty twists" in the story, and commented that the differing approaches to production meant directors were freed from needing to appeal to a wide target audience and allowed have a much greater creative control than in Hollywood animated features, favoring the sophisticated productions anime was known for. Kim and lead actor Gang Dong-won were set to attend the event. The music video brings together the best moments from Kim Ji Woon's fantasy action movie "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" (Inrang) of 2018. Imo, the movie was doing so great as just a double agent action thriller. The main plots complexity makes early portions a bit sluggish but sets up for a lot of twists and betrayals later on. [17][22][23], The film was selected to compete at the 66th San Sebastin International Film Festival, which was held from September 2129, 2018. This generates significant backlash from the region's powers (the U.S, Russia, China, and Japan) who oppose reunification. For example, after the first 15 minutes, you have to wait about 50 minutes for the next real action sequence. Thankfully, though, this is not something they abuse, and Illang does look different, though perhaps someone not well versed in the differences between Korean culture and Japanese culture might easily overlook a lot of the small nuances. Netflix and third parties use cookies and similar technologies on this website to collect information about your browsing activities, which we use to analyse your use of the website, to personalise our services and to customise our online advertisements. Even worse, Kim Jee-woons decision to give away with the original films bleak ending in favor of a happy and commercially friendly ending betrays the only interesting themes in this underwhelming Korean sci-fi thriller. Illang: the Wolf Brigade is an enjoyable, if ultimately flawed, film. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. I'd only recommend it to those who are deeply into Asian and Korean cinema, and who also have a lot of patience. I thought the escaped Sect leader would play a major role in this story, but that gets quickly wrapped off at the end (on a news channel scene). 3. The movie is certainly pretty to look at. They make their way to the tunnels once more, where they are met by members of the Wolf Brigade, a secret, deep-cover unit in the Kerberos Corps led by Hajime Handa. Jin-Roh was first seen in the early 1999 film festival circuit, including the 49th Berlinale and the 19th Fantasporto in February. All Rights Reserved. Why do so many Korean movies feel like they're in slow motion. any information helps. Its only use is during the prologue to explain why the government would launch a Special Unit force to put an end to Sect. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Rafael Motamayor Illang: The Wolf Brigade 2018 | Maturity Rating: 16 | 2h 19m | Action & Adventure In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. With the appearance of an armed anti-government terrorist group called The Sect which opposes reunification, the President creates a new police division called the Special Unit which amasses significant political power. [10][11] The film competed in the San Sebastin International Film Festival for the Golden Shell, becoming the second South Korean film to do so.[12]. Illang: The Wolf Brigade picks up five years into the unification plans. Decades later, he becomes a suspect again but is he still innocent? The story of the original is more or less the story of the remake. Interesting what the Korean Scriptwriters think about Super Powers meddling into Reunification of the Republic of South Korea and the Democratic People's Nation of North Korea. Some of the same setups are in Illang, but they lost the threads throughout the film, and the payoff doesnt arrive with as much force. Fullmetal Alchemist The Revenge of Scar. Kang Dong Won looks out of place in such an action role. Out of all world cinema I have to say Korea may well be the one I've always had the best relationship with. Archived post. I hope he makes a truly great film again, because I was disappointed despite going into it with lowered expectations. A much-anticipated reunion between director Kim Jee-woon and Jung Woo-sung, featuring Minho from K-pop group SHINee. Failing to create any sense of intrigue about its futuristic world, The Wolf Brigade is one disappointing mess that carries bits n pieces of brilliance scattered here n there but the overall product is too weak & uninspiring to sustain the interest and leaves the viewers feeling rather indifferent in the end. I was very confused regarding the motivation of each main character. 2023 GAMESPOT, A FANDOM COMPANY. Inrang: A feast for the eyes, but not the mind. She says he didn't even shoot her and they were just opponents on different sides. The incident damages the reputation of the unit and Fuse is reprimanded. [6], The film was released on July 25, 2018. This docuseries delves into one of our greatest modern mysteries: Flight MH370. At one point, I really wanted to find out what's playing behind the scenes politically, as we see the special unit troops storm a building and nothing else after that. Yun-hee tells him she saw a puppet show of Little Red Riding Hood, but a version without a happy ending. As he proposed the project to Bandai Visual at a meeting they instead asked him to direct Ghost in the Shell but green-lit the series for pre-production. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. [12], A South Korean live-action remake titled Illang: The Wolf Brigade directed by Kim Jee-woon updates the setting from Japan to a dystopian South Korea, where the plot revolves around plans to unite the two Koreas. Then over an hour of nothing and confusing story. Even $1 helps keeps us afloat. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Film Review: 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' Reviewed at Busan Film Festival, Oct. 6, 2018. The show started out fairly slow and then took off with some really fantastic action. Certainly, Illang has some random explosions that dont make sense outside of a movie universe, but the fight sequences are mostly easy to follow, while still being dynamic and exciting.
